Syracuse basketball freshman shooting guard Kiyan Anthony isn't afraid of the pressure that comes with being the son of Hall of Famer and Orange legend Carmelo Anthony. The younger Anthony isn't running from the pressure.
He accepts it. In fact, Kiyan Anthony embraces it. Welcomes it.
"I knew anywhere I went it would be a lot of pressure," Anthony said a few days ago at the team's annual media day. "If I went to a DIII school, it still would have been there. I can't run from it. I just try to embrace it. ... Even if, say, I don't play well this year, if we still win that's the ultimate goal because, you know, they've been down the past few years."
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— New Era Cap (@NewEraCap) October 7, 2025
The 6-foot-5 Anthony isn't trying to be his dad. Melo was the No. 1 recruit in the country before heading to the Hill. He averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds per contest, was the national freshman of the year, was a second-team All-American, and guided Syracuse basketball to its first and only national championship in 2003.
Kiyan Anthony had an excellent high school career in his own right. He played in All-America showcases, was ranked in the top 30 nationally in the 2025 class, was a top-10 shooting guard and was the No. 1 prospect from New York state.
Yet he says, "I'm not looking to come out and score 40 points every game. I’m just trying to win and do what I can to win. My game automatically comes with highlights."
Kiyan Anthony is focused on winning games at Syracuse basketball.
Anthony is likely going to command a decent amount of minutes as a freshman, although I don't anticipate that he will be in the starting rotation as the 2025-26 season gets underway in just about two weeks. Still, head coach Adrian Autry says Anthony should make an impact as a college newbie.
"He’s talented. He’s a very good basketball player. Talented offensively," Autry says of Anthony. "We expect him to come in and contribute on both sides of the floor. He can score on all three levels for sure and continues to progress, like most freshmen, on the defensive end."
Throughout his recruiting process, Anthony constantly said that the Orange was heavily in the mix, but that he was also keeping his options open. The Syracuse basketball staff prioritized him longer than any other program, and not just because he is Melo's son.
'Cuse coaches believed in Anthony, treated him like family, and had a plan for his development in Central New York. That's why Anthony ultimately picked Syracuse basketball over other finalist Southern California out of the Big Ten Conference.
As I've said lately, this Orange 2025-26 roster has a lot of talent, should be high-scoring, and will be fun to watch. Plus, Melo and Anthony's mom, actress La La, are expected to be at most, if not all, of his games at the JMA Wireless Dome.
Oh, and in case you're wondering how long Anthony plans to play for Syracuse basketball before pursuing a professional career, he says he's eyeing a "two-year max, depending on how this year goes."